The Fawcett Avenue Conscripts are a group of table-top wargamers who get together every Thursday night to enjoy some gaming, some beer and a few chuckles courtesy of our hobby.

Monday, April 29, 2013

More 40K Beer League Action

The Winnipeg Warhammer 40K Beer League has been proceeding throughout the winter. I have had the opportunity to play fun games with several opponents, and to try some interesting beers. The following are after action reports on the four most recent games I played.

The Eldar deployed in the southeast corner of the table behind the junkyard and along the road; I made sure that they would be out of range of any Tesla weapons in Chris' deployment zone, at least for the first turn. Chris' Necrons set up in the northwest corner, near a couple of objectives, with a Night Scythe flier and some Warriors held in reserve.

The most valuable objective (4 VPs) was located in the southwest table quarter. As it turned out, the Warrior Squads deployed on the ground would not take an active part in the fighting, taking cover and holding 5 VPs worth of objectives.

In the first turn the Eldar moved cautiously behind the junkyard.

Necron Scarab Swarms moved up to screen the 4 VP objective.

The Eldar re-arranged their forces, sending the Wraithlord west and placing the Fire Dragon skimmer on the left side of the formation of Eldar skimmers. Scatter Laser and Shuriken Cannon fire depleted the ranks of the Scarab Swarms, who moved behind the cover of the supply hut.

The Necron flier then showed up, deploying its Warriors and blowing up the fire Dragon's transport, scoring First Blood!

The Eldar kept moving west.

The Necron plane tried to take out the Fire Storm anti-aircraft tank, but failed, so it flew off the table next turn.

The Farseer and two squads of Dire Avengers disembarked, to support the advance of the Wraithlord.

The Wraithlord charged home...

...and was soundly defeated by the Necron Overlord and its Mindshackle Scarabs.

The Night Scythe showed up again from the north, whereupon it was shot out of the sky by the Fire Storm! More Dire Avengers dismounted, to seize a the 2 VP objective by the Fire Storm. Meanwhile, in the distance Necron Warriors can be seen, hunkered down on objectives of their own.

The Scarab Swarms charged back into the fray, destroying the Farseer`s now-empty transport. The Necron Overlord charged into the Farseer`s squad, but was (surprisingly) laid low through a combination of Snap Fire and the Farseer's superior swordsmanship.

The Farseer and her band moved west, wiping out a squad of Warriors, staying within charge reach of the Scarab Swarm...

...who charged them in order to prevent the Avengers from controlling the 4VP objective.

As the game wound down, more Dire Avengers can be seen just to the east, controlling a 3 VP objective.

Result: Draw
VP's for Host: 6
VP's for Guest: 6

This was a close game. Indeed, Chris was winning (he had control of 9 VPs of objectives for most of the game) until...he wasn't. The turning point was when his Overlord, obviously over-tired from killing the Wraithlord, charged the Farseer and her Avengers, and was struck down for his trouble.

Below is a photo of the most important game accessories used that night.

We played The Crusade scenario (rolling 4 objectives), with Hammer and Anvil deployment.

The objectives were placed just north of the rock formation, in the open between the warp gate and the tower, at the base of the central tower, and in the woods in the southeast table quarter.

Collin's Bastion was near the tower and an objective; clearly he would keep Troops inside until late game. Collin deployed forces in and on the Bastion; Havocs were on the roof, manning the Laser and crewing their own anti-tank weapons. Behind the Bastion were some bikes, including the Chaos Lord. Just to the south was placed a Hellbrute and a Rhino full of Chaos Marines. Another Hellbrute can just be seen north of the spired tower. The Eldar were deployed in a phalanx in the southeast corner, gaining cover or masked completely from fire coming from the Bastion.

Facing a Bastion, with its armament and AV14, was interesting at this point level of game. I decided to try and ignore it.

The Eldar couldn't hide everything. Chaos forces took first turn and managed to Shake the Fire Storm.

The Eldar moved so as to bring the lead Chaos elements under fire. The Fire Dragons moved flat out near the Hellbrute to the north of the Bastion.

Concentrated Eldar fire on the Chaos Lord's retinue wiped them out and left the Lord wounded.

The Chaos Lord moved back behind the Bastion, out of harm's way. Return fire killed most of the Dragons.

Eldar fire destroyed the Rhino and its contents.

In a wild melee the Wraithlord and a Hellbrute destroyed each other.

Some Serpents moved southwest, as the Fire Storm moved north. The lone Fire Dragon killed the second Hellbrute with a lucky shot.

A shot from the Bastion blew up another Wave Serpent.

As the game moved toward its end, Dire Avengers disembarked from the Fire Storm and ran towards the objective there. From out of the Bastion moved some Chaos Cultists, to seize another objective. The Lord moved into charge reach of the yellow-helmeted Dire Avengers.

Two more Dire Avenger squads controlled the remaining objectives. The Lord failed his charge roll, and the game ended with the Chaos forces controlling one objective, to the Eldar's three.

Keith's Imperial Guard forces were a themed Adeptus Arbites police force, using Codex: Imperial Guard. Keith even had a printed Arrest Warrant he was trying to serve upon the Eldar Autarch!

We played The Crusade scenario (rolling for four objectives), with Dawn of War deployment.

The objectives were placed within the warp gate, by the ruins to the northwest, at the base of the tower, and to the northeast in the open by the river.

Looking west below, Keith can be seen to have deployed his Hellhound, Chimera, and Leman Russ Demolisher. His Valkyrie was held in reserve, with his second Veteran Squad and a priest. The Eldar deployed in a loose skirmish line along the southern table edge, mindful of the large blast marker thrown by the Demolisher.

The Imperials made a general advance to the south. In response, the Eldar moved north and west, moving Fire Dragons flat out towards the Demolisher. During the shooting phase, the Eldar managed to immobilize one of their own tanks, in the centre of the table, with a mis-fired Night Spinner's web - oops!

Keith really, really needed his Valkyrie aircraft and its embarked infantry squad to come on from reserves in the second turn; he didn't get them. He disembarked his Inquisitor and a Veteran Squad. The Demolisher damaged but failed to destroy the Fire Dragon Wave Serpent.

Long range Eldar fire killed several Veterans and damaged the Chimera. The Dragons disembarked and blew up the Demolisher with a close range volley of Fusion Guns. This changed the tenor of the game, since the Imperials could no longer control the centre of the table with the Demolisher's heavy cannon.

The Valkyrie came on in the third turn. Keith tried a bold move, a high speed insertion of the Veterans via grav chute. Unfortunately, they deviated right onto the Fire Dragons, suffered a Mishap, and were all killed! The Chimera killed most of the Fire Dragons with its Heavy Flamer.

Eldar return fire wiped out the Inquisitor and his retinue, and destroyed the Chimera and the Hellhound.

With only the Valkyrie remaining, Keith elected to put it into hover mode, moving it into the warp gate, and taking shots at the rear of the immobilized Wave Serpent.

However, the Serpent only lost a second hull point.

Eldar infantry disembarked and moved to seize three objectives. Eldar tanks surrounded the Valkyrie and blew it up with concentrated fire.

We played The Scouring scenario, with Vanguard Strike deployment; 6 variable-point objectives.

I was wary of Jason's three Leman Russ tanks, and decided to concentrate on the vulnerable, but plentiful (50-man) infantry force.

The photo below looks west. The Imperials set up in the northwest corner, leaving a Valkyrie and a Veteran Squad in reserve. The Eldar deployed only three skimmer tanks (two with Dire Avengers, one with Fire Dragons), keeping the remainder in reserve. The Imperials moved southwest slowly, failing to damage the Eldar tanks. In response, the Eldar advanced quickly, moving two tanks flat out past the Imperial line. This would hopefully divide their attention and force their heavy tanks to reveal their vulnerable rear armour to fire.

Below, looking west. Jason's dice abandoned him, as the Imperials failed again to inflict any damage.

The remainder of the Eldar tanks came on from reserve. Fire Dragons and Dire Avengers disembarked to, respectively, destroy a Leman Russ (First Blood!) and wipe out a Platoon Command Squad. Eldar tank fire killed the Master of Ordnance, who had been dropping large blasts randomly across the countryside. The photo below looks south.

The Valkyrie came on from reserve in the northeast quarter. Imperial tanks destroyed the main gun of the Warp Hunter artillery tank and killed a Fire Dragon.

Concentrated fire killed off the remnants of the Imperial infantry, including the Company Commander (the Warlord). The remaining Fire Dragons advanced east onto the low hill. A very lucky Melta shot destroyed the Valkyrie and all its embarked infantry!

A Leman Russ backed up away from the Warp Hunter. The Demolisher advanced and killed three more Fire Dragons. The lone survivor grimly hung on, dug in on the hill.

The weaponless Warp Hunter moved forward to jam the Leman Russ against the western table edge. A Wave Serpent managed to gain the rear of the Demolisher, and blew it up with Shuriken Cannon fire.

The last active Imperial unit, the Leman Russ tank, fired futilely at the massed Eldar skimmers. Eldar infantry moved to seize two objectives (worth a total of 7VPs). Some yellow-helmeted Dire Avengers can be seen to the northwest, taking cover behind a forest to score Linebreaker. The Night Spinner immobilized the Leman Russ.

The Imperials were left without a response as the game wound down. Men of the match were the Fire Dragons, who destroyed a Russ, and managed to shoot down the Valkyrie.

Result: Eldar Win
VP's for Host: 10
VP's for Guest: 0

Jason provided Sleeman's Honey Brown, which is a favourite of my wife and myself.

1 comment:

If there was an award for "person who best captured the spirit of the League", you would win hands down. Not only do you do up some great batreps, you also embrace the beer tasting aspect of the League, which I think most forgot about.

Thanks for all your dedication.

And that Granville Island Maple beer is absolutely amazing. Granville Island is quickly becoming one of my favorites. If only we could get kegs of that for 40kegger events....